Method for renovating journal box packing



Sept. 13, 1932. E. s. PEARCE 1,377,755

METHOD FOR RENOVATING JOURNAL BOX PACKING Filed Aug. 23, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR [7/01 .5. fia/ Sept. 13, 1932. E 1,877,755

METHOD FOR RENOVATING JOURNAL BOX PACKING Filed Aug. 25, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORN EYJ Sept 13, 1932; 5 5 PEARCE 1,877,755

METHOD FOR RENOVATING JOURNAL BOX PACKING Filed Aug. 25, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR 1/1 0 5. l te??? ATTORNEY! Patented Sept. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT WIN 8. PEARCE, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 RAILWAY fiERVICE & ldUPPLY CORPORATION, 0f INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, .h UORIIPUEAT'IUN OF INDIANA METEEMD ran ETWUWATG JlllUltNhlh B03 Pihflhtill 'fil llpplioatlon filed August ht, lttll. terial Illa. tl'ht lt,

The invention disclosed in this application relates to the method for renovating journal boa packing.

The object of the present invention is to improve the method of all previous known methods of renovating, 'ournal box packing and aims to more efiectively and uniformly remove substantially the entire undesirable contents of the packing including the lint part before being again united with the lubricating oil.

ft is now a well recognized fact in the art of renovating journal box packin that it contains undesirable finely dividedli ing from the fibers of the waste part and carried in the oil part. it also contains other nndesirables such as sand, grit, dirt of all inds, pieces of metal, and water. The water may be in suspension in the oil in the form of globules, or it may be soaked up by the fibers, and sometimes it is in the form of ice. It is essential therefore in the renovation of the packing to remove all these undesirables and restore the waste part to as nearly its original condition as possible and the oil part. so that it at least is as good as new oil. This entails the se aration of the waste and oil parts, and suc separation is only effected when the viscous oil of the hill packing is rendered fiuid and the water content is removed. lt has been found that the water content is a very disturbing element in that some agitation must take place in the removal of the oil and such agitation and heat in itself, and in the'presence of the dirt, tends to produce an emulsified condition which hinders the removal of the other undesirables. llt also interferes with the initial heating of the mass of packing in that it prevents the effective, free and rapid circulating (medium. Heretofore the neces sary step of heating has been accomplished by. soaking methods of one kind or another but such practices do not uniformly and forcibly pass the hot heating medium through all the interstices and about all the fibers, a step necessary for the uniform removal of the water content and the later uniform separation of the waste and oil parts.

nt com-' The object of the present invention therefore is to provide a method for renovating journal box packing wherein the se Zaration of the waste and oil parts is more e ectively accomplished than heretofore by uniformly and forcibly circulating through the interstices and about the fibers of the dirty packing an anhydrous dehydrating medium at a temperature suficient to vaporize and quickly drive ofi, in the early stages of the process, substantially the entire water content. The washing medium or oil is therefore free to carry ofil with it substantially the undesirable entire lint content of the waste, much of the other undesirables, except possibly the larger particles, and leave the waste part i and oil substantially dehydrated so that later impregnation may be effectively accomplished and so that the circulatin or, washing medium also is left substantially devoid of water moisture and ready for further use or treatment by the oil renovating step of the method. Such steps of the method materially assist in the proper and edective renovation of the oil which accumulates from time to time and must be treated to render it as far as possible like new oil.

Specifically the method will best be understood by reference to the apparatus.

The first piece of apparatus employed is the oil washing and removing means and is an extractor of the familiar type preferably underdriven and having the usual basket with a reticulated or foraminous outer peripheral wall, with the usual inwardly extending up-- per fiange for preventing the escape of material through the central opening'therein. The inner wall of this basket, however, is provided with a reticulated inner lining, not of the usual fiat wire mesh type, but of similar material arranged in saw tooth arrange ment in cross section with the edges of the ill till

teeth, so to speak, extending vertically. lln

other words there are vertical ridges and means of a type such that uniform distribution of oil supplied by it to the packing within the basket will be distributed evenly throughout all horizontal cross sections of the basket and the packing therein. Such a device may be in the form shown in the hot lubricating oil is supplied to the distributor at the center of the basket. The speed of the basket during this washing operation is preferably such that the resulting centritugal force upon the inbound dirty oily packing is insufficient to result in the packing or matting of the material against the outer wall of the basket so that free circulation of this washing medium through the packing is possible at all times. But on the other hand, such speed should lend itself very nicely to uniform, forcible and free circulation of the washing medium through the packing. in addition to this speed feature just described the saw tooth arrangement of th interior of the basket forms such a large iforaminous outer supporting surface for the annulus of packing and extends into the packing in such a way that free circulation through the material is not hampered but on the other hand. is enhanced. The waste part does not have a chance to compact itself against the ridges and the valleys between them to the extent of interfering with the free circulation. lindeed in the prior ordinary straight, nonundulating type of outer basket wall the material impinges so tightly against it that the oil has difiiculty at the blank areas passing through the adjoining packing to the openings. All of this is done away with in this saw tooth arrangement and free r moval of the oil from the parts of the packing andv all parts of the basket is produced.

The washing medium is preferably anhydrous and is at a temperature suiiicient to vaporize moisture so that substantially the entire undesirable lint content of the packing is removed and remains in the oil and the moisture content is also removed by passing off into the atmosphere. In the case of the lint it goes with the oil, in the case of the moisture it escapes as vapor. By this operation the emulsified condition of the entire product including the waste and oil parts is materially reduced because of the fact that at the low speed of washing there is insufficient agitation. This hot oil washing is preterably continued for a suflicient length of time to remove substantially all of the moisture. The washing medium or oil is maintained at the proper temperature by any suitable regulating means for the purpose, the main point being that it should be, as stated, at a temperature sufiicient to vaporize and permit the removal of the entire moisture content. After the washing step has been performed the extractor is then speeded up to approximately 1800 P. M. when substantially all of the washing medium yet remaining in the packing as well as any of the original oil, yet contained therein, is removed leaving the waste part in a state of uniform fiber saturation without deposits of lint carrying oil in theinterstices of the waste part and with substantially all of the lint content removed and in the oil.

The waste part which is now in the condition of fiber saturation only is then removed and preferably is placed in a tumbler of any of the well-known types, or on a picking table. or on any suitable apparatus which may be u zed for removing, as by picking, or by tumbling, or by agitation, the other uiidesirables' in the waste part, as for er.- ample, sand, grit, dirt, metal fragments, the like. While this cleaning step just described is beneficial for the purpose mentioned, it is not essential in. all cases and to all phases of the invention herein.

The washing medium is hot, heat may be supplied to it to bin it up the proper 'rnperature by man devices suitable 2' he purpo such indirect steel, and

ing on, as above described, washing oil may be withdrawn. able sump or other container and conveyed to oil renovating apparatus of any suitable type capable of handling an emulsified oil and one containing lint. Such an oil renovator must remove all traces of lint which is the disturbing factor and the hot box forming medium of iournai box packing. This lint is not readily removed from emulsified oil hence this oil renovating plant must be capable of handling such an oil.

This oil step is improved by prior treatment herein disclosed in that the emulsified condition of the oil is l As batch 2 er hatch in lllbOlllT ing is treated in the manner just batches of the accumulating oil will be treat-- ed and when renovated batches the waste part and quantities of the oil p; renovated they may be brought together to provide not only a renovated packing, but one which is even better than a packing made from new oil and new waste.

The various features of invention already enumerated and others will be brought out in the following description, drawings and claims:

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of the plant, including a drip board arrangement and the extractor or washing and oil removing means; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of the extractor basket with a portion in section; Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation with parts broken away; Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the oil distributor; Fig. 6 is a section upon the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a section upon the line 77 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of the entire plant.

As above indicated, the plant includes what might be termed two parts, one the oil removing and waste renovating part, and the other the oil renovating part.

The former preferably includes a pair of extractors spaced apart with a driptank and board arrangement therebetween, and such apparatus includes the extractors 1 and 2 both alike and of the now familiar underdriven type with the curb of veach provided with suitable drains 3 leading to any suitable sump or other receiver for the extracted or removed oil. As stated, these extractors are of any approved type except that the basket of each includes'the usual bottom 4, a perforated side wall 5, and the upper flange 6. Within the perforated side wall is what has been termed a saw tooth liningof reticulated material such as wire mesh bent to form vertical V-shaped ridges 7 and valleys 8 between these ridges. These ridges obviously extend into the basket space and hence likewise extend into any mass of material deposited iii the basket. This ridge and valley arrangement furnishes a maximum of reticulated discharge packing supporting surface for the packing as it is thrown outward by centrifugal force against it. These ridges not only increase the available reticulated surface for the discharge of oil from the packing, but also prevent the undue pack ng or matting of the packing against this surface. Furthermore, in' such an arrangement straight imperforate wall portions are not set up in direct opposition, to the normal travel by centrifugal force of the oil through the basket. Hence the oil readily finds its way through this ridged lining and easily escapes through the outer wall of the basket.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the center of the basket is preferably provided with a cylindrical distributor 9 preferably having asymmetrically arranged group of oil distributing slots or openings 10. These openings must be symmetrically arranged in order, as far as possible, to evenly distribute the oil against the breast or inner surface of the annulus of packing as it is formed in the basket. They must also be graduated in size from the bottom to the top with the smaller ones at the bottom so that both the weight of the oil and the effect of centrifugal force on the oil will both produce a uniform supply from top to bottom against the breast or inner face of the annulus of packing. It is preferable to have the upper end of the cylinder provided with an inwardly extending flange 11 toprevent the escape of the oil as it rises in the cylinder in the formation of its meniscus. Oil may be supplied to this clyinder in any suitable manner as through the opening 11 from a pipe connected with the hot washing oil supply.

In the use of the extractors equipped in this way it is started rotating at slow speed, say 900 R. P. M., when some of the oil content of the packing will tend to flow out in spite of its cool condition. Hot washing medium such as lubricating oil ranging in temperature approximately at 212, or whatever is necessary to vaporize the water content is then supplied to the distributor and caused to impinge with force against the breast or inner surface of the annulus of packing, driving the old dirty oil out ahead of it and washing the fibres clean of not only dirt, content but substantially the entire lint content, the lint of course remaining with the oil and the dirt settling if it can in a suitable sump in the oil circuit. Theheat of the oil must be sufiicient to vaporize substantially the entire water content in order to leave both the waste part and the oil part, as far as possible, free of any moisture. After the washing step has been performed and the supply of washing oil ceases, the extractor is then speeded up to approximately 1800 R. P. M. when the removal or extraction of all oil in the waste is effected, thus leaving the waste part devoid of any oil deposit in its interstices and with fiber saturation only.

One important phase of the invention herein is the substantial elimination of moisture not only from the waste part but also from the oil body in that, as stated, the emulsified condition of the oil is, if not entirely, very -materiallyreduced. It has been found that the presence of this emulsion, either water in oil or oil in water, tends to limit the extent of lintremoval so that by quickly removing the moisture in the .initial washing stageof the renovating process more effective lint removal is accomplished.

While the inbound dirty packingmay be charged into the extractors directly from the inbound barrels or other containers it is preferable to use a drip tank arrangement in conjunction with the extractor or extractors, and such an arrangement may be like that shown in the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, wherein a tank 12 is provided having an upper grating 13 just below the top of the extractor curbs and connected by drain boards 14 to the top or tops of the extractors. This tank 12 will be connected, as will appear, to the oil renovating plant. A suitable hoist 15 may be provided for elevating the barrels or containers to a position where the contents may be dumped upon the grating 13. In use, the inbound dirty packing in barrels or. containers is dumped on the grating and allowed to drip while it is waiting its turn to-be charged into the extractor. In the arrangement shown the drip tank arrangement is arranged between two extractors which is a very convenient and efiicient arrangement for speedily handling a large volume of journal box packing.

As stated, fiber saturation only may be treated in a tumbler or other agitating device for the removal of undesirables other than the lintwhich hasbeen taken up by the washing medium. Such a device may be a tumbler, generally indicated at 16, and of the type shown in the patent to Dewey 1,488,198, .is-.

sued March 25, 1924. Such a tumbler is well known in the art and usually includes an,

outer casing provided with optional heating means and provided with a door providing access, and also with optional air circulating means. It is also provided with an inner tumbling barrel rotated in o posite directions and receiving the load of her saturated waste after its prior treatment. This inner drum is reticulated so that undesirables such as dirt, metal parts, short ends, relatively large pieces of lint, or fiber may be shaken waste is dumped piston cover is inserted in the tub orcon out. In this step any moisture not reviously removed from the waste part may e driven off."

After treatment .in such a device the fiber saturated wast-e part may then,be impreg nated with new or renovated oil. Such an 'impregnator is shown in my prior Patent 1,723,747, granted August 6, 1929.

An impre nator of this type includes a container or tu in which is placed theproper quantity of new or renovated oil and the proper quantity of renovated ing up such quantity of oil. The renovated into the oil and a suitable tainer and a vacuum applied so that the cover moves down and produces the immersion of the waste in the oil with the extraction by the vacuum of anyentrained air or vapor present. The oil for the extractors 1 and 2 as well as for the drip tank 12 is handled by suitable tanks and piping which will now be described. At a suita le low level is a combination sump comprising the washing oil tank portion 17 and the dirty oil tank portion 18, separated by a suitable wall 19. The tank 17 is utilized for the Washing medium, while the tank 18 is utilized as a sump for the dirty oil coming from the drip tank 12 as well as from the extractors 1 and 2. This latter tank 18 is provided with a partition 20 rising from the hotthe waste part when reduced towaste for takpipe 25, thisoil coming and 2. Pipe 40 is also connected to another tom to a suitable height so as to provide'a settling chamber to the left and a drainage chamber 21 to the right. This drainage chamber 21 is connected to a suitable drain pipe 22. The tank 17 is also provided with a drain pipe 23.

Leading from the extractors 1 and 2 is a pipe 24 branching into a pipe 25 provided with a valve 26 and into a pipe 27 provided with a valve 28. This pipe 27 is also branched to a pipe 29 connected to the drain pipe-30 leading to the drip tank 12. This pipe 29 is provided with a valve 31 and branches into another pipe 32 provided with a valve 33 and leading to the waste reclamation plant together with the pipes 22 and 23. The pipe 27 with its branch 29 lead to a three-way valve structure 34 connected to a pipe 35 leading to the washing oil tank 17 and another pipe 36 leading to the dirty oil tank 18 to the left of the partition or wall 20. I By the proper and leading to a pipe 40 connected to the intakeof a 'pump 41. This pump has its delivery 42 connected tothe secondary circuit of an indirect heater, generally indicated at 43, the outlet of this secondary circuit being' connected to a pipe 44 provided with a valve 45 and leading to the opening 11 of the oil distributor in the extractor. The primary circuit including the pipes 46 and 47 may be connected to any suitable source of heat supply, such as a steam line or the like. In-one of these pipes,as for example the pipe 47, is a pressure regulator, of any well known type and generally indicated at 48 and of a type such that it may be adjusted to regulate pressures of steam and hence the temperature of the oil passing through the secondary circuit. This regulator is used to determine the temperature of the oil delivered to the packing in the extractor.' Leading from the pipe 40 is a circulating pipe 49 provided with a valve 50 and leading to a circulating tank 51'which receives oil from the from the extractors 1 pipe 52 leading to the oil plant.

In use the dirty oil coming from the drip tank 12 may be directed into the dirty oil tank 18. Likewise, the dirty oil from the extractors at the beginning of the operation may be drained into this tank. As this dirty oil accumulates it may be circulated through the extractors by proper manipulation 0 {)he valves by means of the pump 41 or it may e allowed to settle in this tank 18 until it overflows the partition 20 when it will drain through the pipe 22. When washing oil collected in the tank 17 is to be utilized it is drawnthrough the pipe 37 through the pump .for further use it may be drained through the pipe, 23 to the oil renovating. plant. When new oil is to be used tor washlng the valve 52' in the pipe 52 is opened and other valves manipulated so that new oil or renovated oil trom the oil plant is circulated through the pump l-l, heater 4? to the extractor. -Either the washing oil from the tank 17 or clean oil from the oil renovating plant may be recir; culated through the extractors by the circuit including the pipes 25, tank 51, pipe 40, pump dl, etc.

The pipe 22 leads to another sump 53 which is provided with an outlet pipe 54 having a valve 55 and connected to the inlet of a torce pump 56, the outlet 57 of which leads to the oil plant. Pipe 54. is connected to the pipe Q3 which has a valve 58 therein. Pipe at is also connected to the pipe 32 which branches ofl from the pipe 30 leading to the drip tank 12..

From the toregoin it will be seen that the dirty oil trom the rip tank, the dirty oil them the dirty oil sump l8, as well as the washing oil .trom the tank 17 may be disposed ot through the pump 56 and delivered to the oil plant.

The renovation ot the oil during the various steps of the process maybe accom plished by any suitable form of apparatus capable of handling an emulsified or a par-" tially emulsified oil and one containing lint and other undesirables, such as are present in the oil of journal box aching. Such an apparatus is disclosed in t e applications of Leonard D. Grisbaum, Serial No. 74,979, filed @ecember ld, l dfi, method of and a paratus tor reclaiming oil; and Serial 0. Eldfidii, tiled August l','l927, oil reclamation.

The renovating plant includes three tanks U, E and F interconnected and performing the several oil renovating steps, as will appipes '62 and 64 are provided with valves,

generally indicatedat 65. In the tank D is placed, a charge of a solution of a suitable alkali, such as caustic soda. Water is supplied to, the jacket and steam is passed through the heatingcoils to raise the temperature even to a point above boiling, the water supply ipesbeing shut oil to hold the water un er pressure. The oil'to be cleaned is then admitted to the bottom of the tank and bubbles up through the alkali solution, producing a sufiicient agitation for the treatment. When asuficient quantity of oil has been admitted the tank is allowed to stand for an appreciable time, say five hours, at this higher temperature, and the heating under pressure stimulates the mixing action. Finally, the valve 65 in the water supply, which comes tram the open tank 63, is opened, relieving the pressure in the jacket and permitting the temperature to drop to approximately boiling, in which condition the tanlr is maintained for another period of about five hours. The cover is now removed lrom the tanlr and hot water is sprayed onto the surface of the oil through the nozzles fil. This spraying is continued to thoroughly wash the oil. All soluble matter goes into solution and stays yvith the water, and the solid matter, including dirt particles, which may have been suspended in the oil, is car ricd down and settles with the sludge. The

oil has a lower specific gravity and floats on the top at the water, while the sludge collects at the bottom. There are now three layers in tanlr D-first, at the top there is clean oil containing traces ot chemicals and water; second, the water; and third, the sludge.

The continued heating in tanlr lD prior to the spraying or washing with water breaks down or destroys part ot the lint, such as the woolen or animatfibers, and precipitates the remainder, such cotton or vegetable fibers. It also produces chemical reactions with chemical impurities, such as soaps, grease and. the like, and malres them either soluble or precipitates them. As a consequence, when the water washing step has been performed the oil in the top layer is tree at lint and mechanical impurities and contains but a small portion ct chemical impurities with the moisture or water in it.

The oil in the upper layer is now drawn ad" through the pipe 66 and supplied thereby to a perforated i e 67 at the bottom ot tanlr E, which is hits with hot water. ln said tank the oil rises in a greatly brolren up condition and accumulates above the water level and below a hollow plate 68 heated by steam circulated through it by the pipe 69. .Said plate is of hell form with a center opening or mouth and is preferably hept heated at about 250 F. As the rieingoil strihes it any water ontrained it is vaporired and escapes. Above the hollow plate 68 is a cone 70 with a center 0 hing 71. As the oil accumulates it finally ows out through the center opening 71 and down the sides ot the cone 7d to a pipe 72 by'which it'is supplied to the tanlr F.

I claim:

1.- The herein described steps of a method of renovating journal box packing made u of a fibrous waste part and an oil part, which ldd' steps consist of the step of placing the packing in a perforated container; the step of thereafter slowly rotating said container and during such rotation, delivering heated cleansin oil into said container for entry into sai packing, the rotation of said container durin said oil delivery efiecting better distribution of said oil into said packing and the slow speed of such rotation preventing undue matting or compacting of said packing; and. the step of thereafter rapidly rotating said container to cause an appreciable portion of the oil in the packing to forcibly pass therethrough and leave sai contamer through the perforations thereof.

2. The herein described steps of a method of renovating journal box packing made up of a fibrous waste part and an oil part; which steps consist of the step of placin the packing in a perforated container; t e step of thereafter slowly rotating said container and during such rotation, delivering into said container for entry into said packing cleans ing oil heated to a suficient degree to vaporize any moisture in said packing, the rotation of said container during said 011 delivery effecting better distribution of said oil into said packing and the slow speed of such rotation preventing undue matting or compacting of said packing; and the step of thereafter rapidlv rotating said container to cause an appreciable portion of the oil in the packing to forcibly pass therethrough and leave said container through the perforations thereof? 3. The herein described steps of a method of renovating journal box packing made up of a fibrous waste part and an oil part, which steps consist of the step of heating the packing by passing heated oil therethrough while said packing is supported in the perforated basket of a centrifugal extractor and is not subjected to appreciable centritu al force; the step of thereafter rotating sai basket at a high speed to remove from the packing therein as much as possible of its oil; and the step of thereafter loosening the fibres oi the Waste part of said packing.

d. The herein described steps of a method of treating fibrous waste for use in journal boxes, which steps consist of the step of placing the Waste in a container; the step of preheating oil to a moisture vaporizable de ree; the step of delivering said oil in such pre eated condition to said container for entry into said Waste, thereby vaporizin the moisture in said Waste; and the step of t erea'iter causingyvvhile said waste is in said container, an appreciable portion of the oil in said Waste to forcibly pass through and out of said waste and out of said container.

In testimony whereof I hereby a my signature.

EDWIN S. PEARCE.

mamas 

